1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to cassette tape drive apparatus and, more particularly, to a cassette tape drive apparatus capable of performing the same function as a solenoid-operated drive apparatus without the need to use any solenoid in a mechanism for causing a recording and reproducing head base to move toward and away from the tape surface of a cassette tape.
2. Description of the Prior Art
It is known that such a solenoid is used in a cassette tape drive apparatus loaded in, for example, an automatic answering telephone set. In such a cassette tape drive apparatus, a head base which carries a magnetic recording and reproducing head, a pinch roller and the associated components is adapted to move forward and backward by means of the solenoid. The magnetic head is maintained in contact with the tape surface of a cassette tape to record signals on the cassette tape or pick up signals recorded thereon. The signals thus picked up are subjected to amplification followed by reproduction.
However, the above-described cassette tape drive apparatus for an automatic answering telephone set or the like involves the following problems. For example, since the solenoid is used to move the head base which carries the magnetic head, the pinch roller and the associated components toward and away from the tape surface of a cassette tape, a large electric current is consumed and it is, therefore, impossible to drive such a solenoid by the limited power provided by small-size dry batteries. For this reason, such solenoid-operated cassette tape drive apparatus require an AC-DC adapter of large capacity and hence of large external size.
Furthermore, when such a solenoid is incorporated in a cassette tape deck, the cassette tape deck becomes heavy by the weight of the solenoid and the external size of the cassette tape deck increases.